#1. Fresh From The Spa Skin

We’ve loved our flawless, matte skin in winter, but it’s really time to lighten up. You want the feeling and look of beautiful, fresh and natural skin. A plethora of designers – from Victoria Beckham to Gucci, chose this for their signature look on the Spring/Summer runways.

Of course, while the skin may look totally naked, some prep and illusion is needed. Choose your level of camouflage intervention.
 

• First level – use primer: depending on the type you choose, you can smooth out your pores, even your skin tone and add radiance and moisture.
  
  Try these: BioNike Defence Color Primer Tone - Evening Base and Maybelline New Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser - Lightweight Primer.

 

• Second level – perfected, protected bare skin with a sheer, tint-free rosy glow: We love the all-in-one brilliance of Bioderma Hydrabio Perfecteur Radiance Booster SPF50.

 

• One up - Concealing the obvious: you’re primed, now the only thing left is strategic concealer that hides your sins (late nights and greasy snacking).
  
  We like: Catrice AllRound Concealer Palette and LA Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer in Toast.
  
  Camouflage skin care: For those of us who aren’t quite brave enough to face the world naked, BB and CC creams are the answer. Get their skin-unifying effect, a dose of skin care such as moisture, a light touch of pigment and sun protection as well (in most). Our pick:
  
  For brightening: Vichy Skin Defense Daily Care Anti-Dullness BB Cream SPF 50.
  For oilier complexions: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector All-In-One BB Cream in Medium.
  Great shade selection: LA Girl Pro BB Cream in Medium/Deep.
  
  Read More. The Natural Look. Why BB Creams Are Your New Best Friend

#2. A Natural Flush

Rosy, flushed cheeks nudge out strong contouring this spring. Use a soft pink (paler girls) or rosy coral pink (darker girls) cream blush on the apples of your cheeks, on the tip of your nose, and over your lips, then amp up the glow factor with a few swipes of cream highlighter down the bridge of your nose and along the top of your cheekbones.
 

• Cream blush. The beauty of a cream blush is that it gives you a sheer wash of colour that looks incredibly natural, it gives a lovely soft sheen, it’s buildable, it doesn’t feel heavy in summer heat, and it doesn’t settle into fine lines and make your skin look drier and older (something only those of us over 30 have to worry about).
  
  The bonus is that if you decide you want to apply some glitter or highlighter powder over it, it helps them to stick. Don’t you think you need one? Like, yesterday? Try LA Girl Velvet Blush Stick which has a great shade selection.

 

• Draping delight. Make-up maven? Meet this season’s new it blush technique – draping. It’s blush, but not as we know it. Pat McGrath and Rihanna brought it to our beady-eyed attention, and it essentially means taking your blush and highlighter colours and ‘draping’ them from the cheeks, onto the eyelids or browbones and up to the temples in a C shape. Use shimmer cream in any shade from silver and gold through pink and coral up to purple and ruby.
  
  We like: Rimmel Kate Highlighting Palette 004 and Essence Glow Like A Mermaid Highlighter in Forever Mermaid.

 

• Golden girl. Gold… yellow and rose… is one of the shades of the season. Use it as a highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones, on the inner corners of your eyes (you’ll be seeing highlighted corners a lot this spring), or as a liquid line on your lashes. Rose gold is especially flattering for all skin tones.
  
  Try these: L’Oréal Color Riche Eyeshadow in Timeless Beige, LA Girl Strobelight Strobing Powder 50 Watt, Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Rosy & Goldie and Maybelline Nude Eyeshadow Palette Burgundy Bar.

 

• Bronze babe. The safer option is to use your bronzer to warm your skin. And you can rev up your look by using it to give your cheeks a teensy bit of contour. Add a bit of strobing and you’re channelling footballer wag.
  
  Our picks: Palladio Matte Bronzer in Nude Beach, or their Baked Bronzer in Caribbean Tan and Maybelline Master Strobing Stick Illuminating Highlighter in Medium.
  
  Read More. How Choosing the Best Blush Is the Key to Always Looking Awesome

#3. Line It Up!

If you thought eyeliner was big in winter, be prepared for a whole lot more. Liner is an instant way to make your eyes the focus point, and this season’s looks makes them even more eye-catching.
 

• Winging it. The most popular look is a new take on the winged liner – do your regular cat eye, but instead of ending it in a sharp point, finish with a rounded blob – some are calling it a thumbprint, others a bubble. Queen Pat sprinkled hers with a dusting of glitter (see Glitter Girl).
  
  Our favourite liners to achieve this: Palladio Fifty Fifty Dual Ended Liner and Clarins Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Pen.

 

• Underline it. Shades of the 90s! Underliner is back. It’s great for giving you a wide-eyed look, and it can vary from a fine line close to your lashes to a bold line stretching from under your pupil to the outer edge, or you can go all-out with an upside-down wing along the whole eye. Colour-wise, anything goes.

 
White line. This distinctive look is especially striking on darker-toned girls, adding a note of fresh elegance to a pared-down face. Apply it as a fine line under the lashes using liquid liner (or wettened eye shadow applied with a fine brush). For a softer look, use a white eye pencil, such as Palladio Precision Eyeliner in White or Essence Kajal Pencil in White.

Read More. Breath-Taking Cat Eye Looks You'll See Everywhere This Year

#4. Pastel Prettiness

We’re feeling inspired by the beauty of budding flowers in nature and in this year’s fashion prints.
 

• Lilac lids are one of the signature-looks this year, lending you a Sixties vibe. It looks great with both a nude-toned face or with soft pink or coral lips, and it works well with all skin tones. Apply it as a soft wash right up to the crease, or smudge it along your lash line – top or bottom.
  
  We like Essence My Must Haves Eyeshadow in Holo Holic, Revlon Colorstay Creme Eye Shadow in Black Currant and L'Oreal Infallible Gel Crayon Liner in Violet Va Va Voom.

 

• A heavenly mix of blue and green is created using shadows blending into one another to create a twist on a smoky eye, or to create an ombre liner. So pretty, especially on hazel and brown eyes.
  
  Try these: Michelle Ori Eyeliner in Xanadu, Clarins 4 Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Forest and LA Girl Inspiring Eyeshadow Tin in Fabolous & Fearless.

 

• Pretty in pink is a tricky look to pull off because choosing the wrong shade can make you look like you have a dose of pink eye (not so great). The easiest way is to go with a rose gold shade, but girls with deeper skin tones can really pull off a hot fuchsia. The trick is to use a line of copper rose (for paler girls) or dark burgundy (for darker girls) close to the lash line. Then, of course, you can always indulge in a bit of draping.
  
  Some inspiration: Maybelline Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette and LA Girl Inspiring Eyeshadow Tin in Get Glamorous.

 

• Yellow moved from the catwalks to the red carpet, but if it works on Lupita, Zendaya and Margot Robbie, can it work on li’l ol’ me? Turns out it can. As with pinks, it’s all in the right shade for your skin tone – go for soft yellows if you have fair skin, while medium to deep-toned women should choose brighter yellows. Wear it as a full wash, in the corners of the eyes, or as a bold line close to the lashes. Just make sure you have lashings of mascara to avoid looking washed out.
  
  Our mellow yellow: LA Girl Eyelux Mesmerizing Eyeshadow in Dramatize - yellow and grey is just beautiful together and we think this will look exquisite on girls with deeper skin tones.

 

• Earthy tones are the foil for all this colour (and probably a look more of us are willing to embrace). Brown and olive tones give your look a sunkissed glow. Use them together as a summer smoky look, or go for a pretty monochrome wash.
  
  For some stunning olives: Palladio Crushed Metallic Eyeshadow in Zenon and Almay Palette Pops Eyeshadow in Petit Pops of Wow.

 

• Your all-in-one palette for all this season’s eye colours: LA Girl Beauty Brick Eyeshadow in Neons.

#5. Gloss, Shine & Go!

• All hail lip gloss! Yep, it’s back- high-gloss liquid lips in various levels of colour intensity. The difference with the new generation is that they aren’t as goopy. The power lip for summer is clear tomato red or fuchsia pink, but anything goes, really.
  
  Our favourites: Clarins Instant Light Lips Oil - No 2 One Shot/Limited Edition, LA Girl Lip Paint Super Intense Color Lipgloss in Coy and LA Girl Glazed Lip Paint Lip Gloss in Seduce.

 

• Softly smudged. The softer way to wear it is to smudge on your lipstick or lip stain with your finger and dab a bit of gloss or lip balm on, then rub in. You want to look freshly kissed.
  
  Try these: Essence Go Wow Lip Art Palette in Show'Em Your Style! and Palladio Lipstain in Orchid.
  
  Read More. On Trend Matte Lipsticks - And How to Make Them Look Awesome on You

#6. A Bit of Bedazzling

#6. A Bit of Bedazzling

• Glitter girl. A shower of glitter trail down the runways, and we just love it. It’s great to amp up a party look and can be used as an accent on the inner corners of the eyes, dusted on the lower lids (careful not to get it in your eyes), or sprinkled in your hair and on collar bones. The look we love most: a stripe of glitter liner down the centre of the eyes, as seen at Anna Sui.
  
  Use these: Essence Get Your Glitter On Loose Glitters in Golden Nuggets and Essence Get Your Glitter On Loose Pigments in Copper Queen (both also in other great shades).

 

• Diamond doll. What’s better than glitter? Crystals, of course. Stick-on diamante can be used on the inner corners, in a line to replace your eye liner, or as a strategic beauty spot. Use eyelash glue to make them stick. Aaaaand, sparkle!
  
  Read More. Absolutely Gorgeous Summer Nail Polishes You Need to Try RN